Friction plug closure



Nov. 20, 1951 R, s. CONDON ET AL 2,575,490

FRICTION PLUG CLOSURE Filed Dec. 22, 1944 INVENTOR.

ROBERT 6. Cozvpozv LEXANDER 6 HATCH Patented Nov. 20, 1951 FRICTION PLUGcLosUnE Robert S. Condon and Alexander G. Hatch, Rutland, Vt., *assignors, by mesne assignments, to Continental Can Company, 1110.," New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1944, Serial No. 569,334

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to closures and more particularly to friction plug type closures utilized on containers for packaging material such as powdered cocoa or the like which is measured out in quantities by a standard measuring device, which in the case of cocoa powder is a table spoon.

At present the leading distributors of powdered cocoa all use a container of oblong cross section capable of holding one half pound. The oblong shape is used instead of a cylindrical shape because it presents two broad faces-upon which the manufacturer may conspicuously display his name and trade-mark, as well as reducing shipping space over the latter. A square shape is not desirable because the resulting container becomes too squatty in appearance if the sides of the square are sufficiently long to permit the entrance of a table spoon through the closure.

As powdered cocoa is hydroscopic it is essential that the closure remain tight although repeatedly removed and replaced. Another necessary requirement is that the powder may be readily removed from the container and to accomplish both of the foregoing a friction plug type closure is used consisting of a ring having an opening therethrough of sufficient length to readily insert a tablespoon and a friction plug for closing said opening. The opening must be sufficiently wide to permit the spoon to be inserted at an angle when the container is first opened in order to readily remove the powder and to permit free manipulation to loosen the powder which has a decided tendency to pack when the container is partially emptied. V

In a standard half pound cocoa can the width of the can is such that a circular hole of a diameter sufficient to receive a table spoon cannot be employed as such a hole does not leave suflicient metal on the sides of the ring to permit proper seaming of the ring to the can body. As a result it is standard practice in the industry to make an oblong opening in the ring and a closure plug of like shape arranged with their major axes parallel to the longer sides of the container.

The sales of powdered cocoa in containers as above described exceed one hundred million a year and except for the closure the container is entirely satisfactory. Repeated complaints, however, are received from purchasers because theclosure plug, unless carefully removed and replaced, falls into the container, resulting upon removal in considerable waste of material and the scattering of cocoa powder over everything adjacent thereto.

Because of the advantages of the present container, suchas its display value, manufacturers are reluctant to change its shape despite the complaints and efforts heretofore made to improve the'closure have been unsuccessful. Such efforts haveincluded hinging the closure plug either by an actual'hinge or by providing a tab or lip extending from the flange and seamed under the closure'whe're it'secures to the container body. Both of these have been discarded as being too costly. It has also been suggested that a pouring spout be'used. However, because of the fact that the material does not flow freely and a tight closure cannot be maintained as well as the cost of production, the use of a pouring spout has not been adopted. I

The object of the present invention is to provide a satisfactory closure wherein the plug cannot drop in its opening, and without sacrificing the advantages of the present container or increasing the cost of manufacture thereof. This is accomplished by so constructing the ring and closure plug that the minimum width of the closure plug will be'greate'r than the ring opening while maintaining an opening sufficiently large to permit insertion of'the standard measuring device therethrough and permit free manipulation thereof, and at the same time leaving sofficient metal around the hole in the ring to permit seaming the ring to the can body.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is-made to the accompanying drawing wherein; I

"Figure 1 is a perspective of a complete container. embodying a closure made in accordance with the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the closure of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are views on lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the closure; and

Figs. 6 and '7 are views taken on lines 6-45 and 1-1 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the container comprises an oblong body A with a friction type 010- sure B, the container having broad faces and a restricted width. The closure B is of like dimensions to the body and comprises a ring l0, having an opening I! anda friction plug l4 adapted to close the ring opening. As shown, the opening I2 is of oblong shape having its major axis parallel to the longer sides of closure, and positioned midway between the sides. When the closure B is secured in position on the container body A, a ridge H is formed causing the ring to be depressed below the plane of the top of the body and 3 thereby restricting the size of the plug if it is to seat properly in the ring.

In order to properly close the opening, the friction plug [4 has a body portion including a base I6 with a peripheral sealing Wall or skirt I"! extending vertically and slanting slightly outward therefrom and of like shape to opening l2 with the slant of the wall or skirt being such that it frictionally engages the periphery of opening l2 whereby the body part fills the opening and assures a tight closing. In order to strengthen the plug and also to permit its ready removal, there is provided a flange 15 extending laterally outward from the upper peripheral edge of the wall 11, overlying the ring'beyond the opening [2.

However, as pointed out, it is essential that.

the plug I4 not fall through the opening 12 when being removed or replaced and in addition sufii-' cient strength of the flange must be maintained to permit prying the plug out of-the opening. To accomplish this the closure. is propor- I tioned to provide an oblong opening sufliciently long to permit the insertion of the standard measuring device and the plug is so proportioned that the shortest distance across its flange is greater than the maximum opening in the ring. Where, as here, a tablespoon is the criterion the opening must be approximately 1%" on its-major axis and the minimum width-of the closure must be. greater than the major axis of the opening,

which in practice will be the length of the opening plus twice the minimum flange width in order to prevent the plug from falling through. To

maintain the container at a minimum width the major axis of the closure opening is positioned approximately parallel to the broad faces or long edges of the container and midway between same to. permit the minorv axis to be restricted while retaining sufficient metal to support the seaming operation. The foregoing may be accomplished by making the plug with an oblong-shaped body portion and by making the flange portion either of elliptical or oval oblong shape, as shown in Figs. 2.

to 4, or circular as shown in Figs. 5 to 7. In order to obtainsufficientstrength in the flange portion, the flange at the extremities of the major axis has a minimum width which in practice projects a just sufiiciently long to permit the insertion of a prying tool thereunder, whereby the. plug may To add further strength,

be pried out of place. the flange maybe headed back upon itself to provide a double thickness around the periphery thereof.

It will be seen that in both embodiments the width of the flange increases gradually from the extremities of the major axis to a maximum width across the minor axis, thus providing in each embodiment a flange having sufficient strength to permit ready removal and yet-so proportioned with relation to the ring opening that 'it-cannot fall through the opening. Likewise, in each instance the shortest axis across the flange is slightly greater than the major axis of the opening. Moreover, the proportions are such that the size of the closure will also permit the making of a container body of minimum width.

By making a closure as described, a container may be provided which maintains all the desirable characteristics of the present containers, eliminating the undesirable characteristics and accomplishes the foregoing at practically no added cost.

We claim as our invention:

A closure plug for a friction plug closure, said plug comprising a substantially oblong body por- ROBERT S. CONDON. ALEXANDER G. HATCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 968,425 Schiif Aug. 23, 1910 1,010,538 Ullrich Dec. 5, 1911 1,208,240 Ullrich Dec. 12, 1916 1,247,029 Specht Nov. 20, 1917 1,366,056 Burns Jan. 18, 1921 2,122,537 Pfeifer, Jr July 5, 1938 2,199,528 Sebell May 7, 194 A).

' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 324,410 Germany Aug. 27,. 19.20 

